Mumbai witnessed a severe weather incident on Friday as its temperatures dropped to 16.5°C, making it the lowest temperature the city experienced within the last eight years. The India Meteorological Department has confirmed this record, which seems to have caught the interest in the unusual weather conditions for the city.
This cold spell set a new record for Mumbai, surpassing the previous lowest temperature of 16.3°C recorded on November 11, 2016. Sushma Nair, an IMD scientist based in Mumbai, pointed out that Friday’s temperature was the lowest in the last eight years, highlighting a stark drop in the region’s usual climate.
Diverse Weather Across City
This weekend, the city’s average temperature dropped dramatically, though the Colaba observatory, which gauges the entire city’s weather, still reported a minimum temperature of 21.4°C. The city witnessed diverse weather conditions in its different localities.
However, despite the sudden cooling, Nair said Maharashtra will not have a cold wave from November 30 to December 3. As per IMD, in the coming days, it is expected that the temperature will slowly rise, providing relief from this recent cold spell.
This is the second instance in a row over just four days that Mumbai has recorded a record-low temperature. On November 26, the city had surpassed its previous low of 16.8°C, setting a new record. On that day, the minimum temperature at the Colaba observatory was not much different at 22.5°C.
Reason Behind Cold Spell
According to Sunil Kamble, Director of IMD Mumbai, the temperature had dipped due to the prevailing easterly and northerly winds. However, he added that this was a temporary condition, as warmer conditions were likely to return soon.
“We are getting easterlies and northerlies, which have brought down temperatures, but days will get warmer from Saturday due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal. This system will increase moisture, which leads to higher temperatures,” Kamble said in an interview with The Indian Express.
As the Bay of Bengal depression is likely to affect the weather, Mumbai will see partly cloudy skies in the coming days. This will lead to a rise in humidity with warmer temperatures, offering a marked respite from the chill felt lately.
Weather Numbers On Friday
On Friday, Mumbai witnessed a maximum of 27°C with 48% humidity. Until 8:30 PM, the city’s air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 106, which classifies as a moderate pollution level, and the PM2.5 concentration was at 37 µg/m³.
The weather in the city has been quite different from what it usually is, and temperatures have kept people on their toes as they fluctuate. However, experts believe that warmer conditions will prevail soon.
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